Calcium oxalate stones, also known as bladder stones, are a fairly common malady suffered by dogs. The condition is medically known as urolithiasis. If your dog is experiencing badder stones, it is possible to counteract and control the occurrences with a veterinarian's help.
Instructions
Take your dog to a veterinarian. Calcium oxalate stones, as opposed to other bladder stones, usually need to be removed through surgery or urhydropropulsion. Urohydropropulsion is a technique where a dog is sedated, and a catheter is inserted and used to fill the bladder with saline solution. A vet then holds the dog vertically and squeezes the bladder, allowing the water to expel the stone out the urethra. A vet will be able to take X-rays and perform a urinalysis to determine the severity of the problem and the correct treatment. The vet also can determine if the animal has any bacterial infections that may be causing the problem.
Change your dog's diet. Altering the diet of a dog with calcium oxalate bladder stones can help minimize or eliminate the problem, even allowing pre-existing stones to dissolve. It should be noted that diet management is not a quick course of action and can take from 60 to 150 days to take effect. Specially formulated diets for dogs that are low in large proteins, and high in salt, magnesium and phosphorous can help keep a dog from re-experiencing the problem. Make sure to talk to a veterinarian before putting a dog on this kind of diet.
Increase your dog's water consumption. Many times, lack of water can allow the calcium buildup in a dog's bladder to turn into bladder stones. Getting your dog to drink more water and flush out its system is a great way to prevent calcium oxalate crystal problems. Feeding your dog canned food diets instead of dry food diets will help, as will adding water to dry dog food. Adding sodium to a dog's diet will make the dog thirsty more often, but should be done per a veterinarian's instruction, as high sodium content in an animal's diet can cause problems long term.